Natalie's Corner opening ceremony planned for August 16 at 10 a.m.

Fallen City of Davis police officer Natalie Corona will be honored with a long-awaited splash pad

It's official.

Mark your calendars and cancel any other plans you might have.

Saturday, August 16, at 10 a.m. in Central Park, Davisites and many others will gather for the grand opening of the much-anticipated Natalie's Corner, featuring a spectacular splash pad and other amenities to honor Davis Police Officer Natalie Corona, who was tragically killed in the line of duty on the evening of January 10, 2019.

Natalie, just 22 years old at the time, was shot and killed while responding to a traffic accident on Fifth Street between C and D, just a block east of Central Park.

Natalie Corona

After much discussion and numerous suggestions as to how best the City of Davis could honor Natalie, former Mayor Lois Wolk assembled a diverse group of community members to select a lasting and meaningful project that the whole town could enjoy.

In 2021, in partnership with the committee, the City of Davis secured a state grant for a splash pad and gardens in Central Park. Following significant public input and the committee's recommendation, the City Council voted to name the Central Park project Natalie's Corner in her honor.

The grand opening ceremony on August 16 has been named "Making a Splash for Natalie" and the hope is that the entire community will turn out in force to let Natalie's parents, Merced and Lupe, and Natalie's three sisters, know just how deeply Davis cared about Natalie's service to our town.

As a committee member, I suggested "Splashapalooza" but that idea was unanimously voted down by the several dozen other committee members.

When the splash pad countdown reaches "zero" on August 16 and water starts blasting into the air from 18 different interactive outlets, admission will always be free.

Being a police officer was always a dream for Natalie, who from a very young age told people "I want to be a police officer just like my dad."

Born to Lupe and Merced Corona in the nearby town of Arbuckle, Colusa County, Natalie grew up with sisters Jackie, Kathy and Cindy.

A gifted athlete at Pierce High School in Arbuckle, Natalie excelled at basketball and volleyball and frequently went on ride-alongs with her father.

She went on to earn her Associate's degree in Criminal Justice while working as a Community Services Officer at the Davis Police Department. Even when other offers came along, Natalie was adamant that Davis was where she wanted to serve.

In 2018, the Davis Police Department sponsored her through the Sacramento Police Academy. In August of that year she was sworn in as a Davis Police Officer and given badge number 224, a number that can be found in several places around town as a lasting honor to her service.

She was known among her police colleagues and in the Davis community for her positive attitude, her tenacity and her willingness to always offer a helping hand to those in need.

Reach me at bobdunning@thewaryone.com